August 30 is the 243rd day of the year. On this day in 1967, Thurgood Marshall is confirmed as the first African American Justice of the United States Supreme Court.

* Isthmus: Watching the local morning news (and, for that matter, the local evening news), it's pretty easy to tell which on-air personality is probably just biding her time in Madison, ranked number 85 among American TV markets, and which may be trying desperately not to be banished to somewhere even smaller.

* Nardi: Whether or not you agree with Wiley—and I made it clear in a testy phone call from the WMC that a column of opinion was not an editorial endorsement—the immediate and for the most part praiseworthy reaction to the article (I was told he received a standing ovation at this week’s downtown Rotary meeting) is an important signal to citizens, politicians and business leaders that we are indeed in a crisis and solutions need to come next.

* WISC: New UW Chancellor Reacts To Wiley's Column; Martin Says She's Eager To Work With WMC, Other Groups

* MJS: Support for Sen. John McCain's vice presidential pick from Wisconsin Republicans continues to pour in.

* AP: Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin would make a "pretty fragile" president, Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton said Friday

* Rep. Baldwin: As we face serious global challenges and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, John McCain has chosen someone with virtually no national security or foreign policy experience. This choice calls into question both Senator McCain’s judgment and a McCain administration’s ability to lead a nation in crisis.

* Dane101 Department of...well that's just neat: Operate Your Computer with Wii Controllers